Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125739
HREE VIEW THE 250CC AJS STORMER Si".wa,s: 2·Stro" Sera_"',s E" Dr.e's'.r'5 • ia" By Ed Drechsler About this tester: Ed is 32 years-old, and been involved with motorcycles since 1953. Only recently, however, did he turn to competition. Among well known events he has competed in include the Dirt Diggers A II State Scrambles (1970), Four Aces GP at Willow Springs (1970), the Elsinore GP ('71) and Viewfinders GP at Indian Dunes ('71). He is a Distn'ct 37 IT Novice currently ranked 53rd in Dist. 37 point standings. When asked to participate in the field test of the AJS 250 Stormer, I felt that here was another chance to prove to myself that the four-stroke is still king. I ride a highly-competitive BSA 441 Victor which now has a wet weight of 235 pounds. The 2-strokes that I had rode in the past all seemed to exhibit the same type of problems: gear shift on the wrong side, radical power band which was impossible for me to control, a general lack of "feel" when decelerating under compression, inadequate brakes, foot pegs too high and too far to the rear for IT riding, front end too light, etc. The entire list is The narrow double-loop frame makes the engine look massive. Expansion chamber protrudes out quite a bit althou9l it was not of any consequence during test - just lunny-looking. Skid plate is tock and could be wider for better side case protection. There's loIS of room under tank to change plug; even the desert tank has room . too lengthy to prin t. I was convinced that if I ever did switch to a ring-aoding that it would take me many months and many crashes for the change-over. The first time I mounted the test machine was at Orange County's Saddleback Park. After memorizing the shift pattern (I up, 3 down on the righ t), I rode a slow lap on the IT course for familiarization. The machine's balance, handling, and natural feel of controls and gradual power curve convinced me that I could go faster, so I opened it up. The course was not in "rac-day shape" but I was able to knock a full five seconds off my fastest Victor time for the same course. (Time available upon request.) I stabbed into comers faster than ever and came out in shape. I had never been able to take that off-camber left tum after the jump, but with the Ajay I was passing on the inside or outside with ease. On the short straight before the jump I could choose the groove I wanted and even was able to change grooves at will. Never before had I been exposed to such controlability. The gear shift pattern, while awkward at first, proved to be natural to me that I am now in the process of reversing the shift plate on my Victor. The close-ratio gear box seemed to be designed for IT-type courses such as Saddleback. The brakes were more than adequate and provided as much stopping power and feel as my own Barnes hydraulic disc brake. The Stormer was fitted with a stock AJS silencer which cut the noise down to a tolerable level. Even so, the power of the machine was unreal. The Ajay pulled everything on the course except a pesky 405 Maico which would slide onto the track, out-ride me, and disappear off the track as I was nipping at his heels. The only problem that I encountered occurred on the motocross course at Osteen's Park and in the sand at Indian Dunes. The carburetor loads when the engine is lugged. This loading is directly attributable to rider error, but it still is somewhat bothersome. I also was able to ride this machine over terrain representative of any to be found in Southern California. I rode Grand Prix type. areas, sandwashes, rocks, and water. In some areas I wen t faster than I had ever been before, and in the remaining areas my speed was equal to my past performances. The natural handling ability and gradual power curve allowed me to ride "bails out" on three separate days without throwing me to the ground one time. I have never been so impressed by a machine before. What impresses me the most is the fact that this machine is ~ w Z W ...J C) >- C) The fafniliar Villiers lower end unit construction leaves a little to be desired for riders who change gearing as clutch case and housing must be removed to change the counter·shaft sprocket. The sturdy brake lever is a plus along with the cam-type chain adjuster. Note that position of the shock mounting to swing arm is fa"her forward than most. produced in conservative England. And to tell you the truth, I personally never expected anything competitive. for motocross or IT to come from our cousins across the sea. I believe that I will buy one. AJS 250 STORMER SPECIFICATIONS Engine AJS air-cooled single <:ylinder two-stroke (247cc). Bore 2.676" (6Smm) Stroke 2.676" (6Smm) Com. Ratio ...............•.......•.......................... 11 : I BHP, Rear Wheel, sea·level Over 25 at 6000-8000 rpm Max. Torque 22 Ibs/ft at 5750 rpm Clutch All metal-wet Gearbox Wide ratio Close Ratio 4th 1:1 1:1 3rd 1.255:1 1.255:1 2nd 1.66:1 1.51:1 1st 2.53: 1 2.00: 1 Ignition System Flywheel generator with external coil Carburetor : Amal concentric 32mm Gastank Strong glass reinforced plastic; 214 gal. Front Suspension " Teledraulic fork with revised damping 63,4 travel Brakes ... Extra wide drum front and rear incorporating unique AJS piston ring seal in lightweight conical bubs. -}'ootp~ , . Forged steel, spring-loaded, folding; splined mounting providing a range of adjustmen t. Fenders , ..................•. Ught Alloy front and rear Dimension and weight: -. Wheelbase 55.5" Length ...........................................•.... : 83" Saddle height (rider seated) 30" Graound clearance .....................•...•.................. 9.5" Weight (dry) 2221hs. Tire size Front - 2.75 x 21 Rear - 4.00 x IS Emergency Parts Kit: Throttle cable, clutch cable, spark plug, rear chain split link, set of contact breaker points, set of piston rings, .015" and .0IS" feeler gauge, and timing tool. Noyie. nrills & Spills ...or, Aja, Ta"s Day. Swift for a Ii", t". By David Swift About this tester: Dave, (22), has been a street rider for five years and is currently rebuilding his Yamaha 350 with hopes to go into Production Road Racing. He is quite familiar with many of the asphalt machines going but is a Novice-Novice tracker on the dirt; OT, as he says, "A super Novice who has never raced in his life. " The Aiay in full flight. Handling is excellent over the choppy stuff. ,..' I've always wanted to ride the Ajay. Being a long-time street enthusiast, Nortons bave represen ted some sort of ultimate in superbike-dom, and now that my interest has spread into the bod-pummeling wOrld of off·road riding, the Nortons' brother naturally stirs more in terest. Norton-Villiers has managed to avoid England's reputation for "traditional" engineering in the past few years but most of the pit gossip at the local races is unfavorable towards the AJS. Few racers own one so there is little chance that the Ajay can be defended. Still, gentle Mike Jackson is always unafraid to stack his product, silencer and all, against anyone else's, because he's convinced that "they handle better". Better than what? Well, despite the fact that I've ridden a handful of out-of-the-crate racers, I'm not afraid to say that the Y-40 offers more in performance than most riders are capable of demanding. The (Please turn to page 8) -----------